1999 USA Women's Senior National Team -- Spring Training

Colorado Springs, Colorado - April 15 - May 4, 2004

The six 1997-2000 USA Basketball Women's National Team core group members and 11 other National Team hopefuls convened April 15 - May 4, 1999, in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a Spring Training Camp to further evaluate athletes for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach Nell Fortner was assisted by collegiate head coaches Peggie Gillom and Charlene Thomas-Swinson.

1999 USA Basketball Women's National Team 1999 Spring Training Team

USA Basketball Women's National Team core group members Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie, Lisa Leslie, Nikki McCray, Katie Smith and Dawn Staley were joined on the USA Spring Training squad by Cynthia Cooper, Teresa Edwards, Yolanda Griffith, Chamique Holdsclaw, Shannon Johnson, DeLisha Milton, Nykesha Sales, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, Natalie Williams and Kara Wolters. Bolton-Holifield and Smith, who were both rehabilitating ACL injuries, attended the training camp, but only participated in shooting drills.

Included among the 11 Senior National Team hopefuls were Olympic gold medalists Cooper (1988), Edwards (1984, 1988, 1996) and Swoopes (1996); and World Championship gold medal winners Cooper (1986, 1990) Edwards (1986, 1990), Holdsclaw (1998), Milton (1998), Williams (1998) and Wolters (1998). The list of 1999-2000 Senior National Team candidates was further supplemented by recent USA National Team members Johnson, Sales and Thompson, who were members of the 1999 USA Women's National Team that compiled a 4-1 record competing against four top European professional teams this past winter, while Griffith's National Team experience came as a member of the 1998 USA squad which posted a 2-3 record against the Australian National Team last September.

In addition to training twice each day, the U.S. squad hosted the German National Team from April 22-29 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. During Germany's stay, the USA and Germany played an exhibition game on April 25 that saw the U.S. earn a lopsided 111-59 victory.

The United States controlled the game from the start, rolling to a 31-14 lead after one quarter and by the halftime buzzer the U.S. was up by a commanding 64-27 margin. Seven of the nine available Americans scored in double digits, including a game high 19 points from Milton, McCray tossed in 17, Williams came off the bench to score 16, Griffith notched a double-double with 14 points and a game best 12 rebounds, Sales finished with 13 points and Cooper and Staley each notched 12 points. Staley and Johnson passed off for six and five of the USA's 25 assists, respectively. Griffith nearly pulled off a rare triple-double after being credited for eight steals.

USA Basketball's Senior National Team Program, which was established for the 1997-2000 quadrennium as preparation for the 1998 World Championship and 2000 Olympics, and specifically the core group, was designed to prepare elite level athletes by identifying a core group of National Team athletes who would train and compete together during the time periods when athletes from professional leagues and collegiate programs are available. The remaining roster spots on the 12-member National Teams that competed in those various competitions and tours were filled from the National Team pool. It was the intent of the National Team Program to name additional core group members by evaluating the performance of the athletes in the National Team pool as they compete for USA Basketball and on other teams.

USA vs. Germany Box Score